High School Student Ticketed For Riding Unicycle On Sidewalk, Says Officer Was Wrong

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) — A New York Police Officer recently received a lesson in the rules of the road from a high school student.

The Officer improperly cited Isaih Rosemond, 18, a senior at Edward R. Murrow High School for riding his unicycle on the sidewalk.

Rosemond told CBS 2’s Dana Tyler that he was on his way to school when the officer made the erroneous citation.

“I was riding my unicycle on the sidewalk, just a few blocks down from here and a cop pulled over and said it was illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk. I said ‘it’s not a bike, it’s a unicycle,” he said.

Rosemond tried to explain to the Officer that unicycles are allowed on sidewalks, but he said that she wouldn’t listen. While waiting for the Officer to write him a $100 ticket, Rosemond looked up the DOT’s rule that bans bikes from sidewalks.

The rule reads as follows:

A bicycle, which means a device propelled by human power, upon which a person may ride. Having either two or three wheels in a tandem or tricycle arrangement.

The incident made Rosemond late for school, but he said that his teachers were understanding.

“My teacher, she knows I’m not a bad kid, she was shocked, like ‘what!?!’ Honestly, I felt like they just wanted to meet their quota or something,” she said.

Rosemond continued to research the law and found out that a previous unicyclist who had been cited for riding on the sidewalk, went to court and won.

He plans to attend his court date on August 10 and is confident that the law is on his side.

The New York Police Department has not commented on the incident.

Do you ride your unicycle on the sidewalk? Let us know in our comments section below…